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BANG FOR THE BITE
At an average of 570 gallons per year, you and your car can make a big difference by choosing more responsible oil companies.
COCKTAIL FACT
New Jersey and Oregon are the only states where you're not allowed to pump your own gas.
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home › tip library › Eco-Friendly Cars - Socially Responsible Oil Companies
Hey gas guzzlers: wanna know the best place to fill 'er up?
The Bite
Gold stars to Biters driving alternative fuel vehicles. For the rest of us, the question of where to gas up is constantly gnawing at our tailpipes. We've got your best bets for next time you pump.The Benefits
- There's no such thing as an eco-friendly oil company. But some are better than others, so reward companies that are cleaning up their acts with your business.
Personally Speaking
Having recently made the move to San Francisco, Sara and Toshio are missing Oregon, where they didn't have to pump their own gas. Whaaa. Cry us a river, kids.Wanna Try?
When we started The Bite, we promised that we'd never get preachy or negative. Therefore, we WON'T tell you to avoid companies with flying Pegasus mascots, 2 Xs in their name or stations that hand out orange balls you can put on your car antenna. Ahem. Try these instead:- BP (Amoco, Arco) - dedicating billions to alternative energy research and has self-imposed emissions caps (but has violated the Clean Air Act and is facing charges of destructive pipeline construction in Asia).
- Citgo - has helped fund hurricane relief and low-income families (but is charged with human rights violations in South America).
- Sunoco - only oil company to sign the CERES eco-principles (but has some major spills under its belt and is named in a lawsuit involving MTBE).
- Coop America and Better World Handbook - want more detail? In-depth ratings of some of the majors.
- Social Funds - a good article breaking down Goldman Sachs's oil company ratings.
Sep 13,2006
Sponsor
All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Ida Needs a Name
Hey all, wanted to introduce you to the latest Bite team member - my new '76 Benz biodiesel. God bless her, she needs a name.
Course Jen said I need to name her Ida ("As in IDA got a nicer car if I didn't go in debt to start the Bite"). Personally, I think this makes Ida self-conscious and sad, so I think she might need a new name.
So, opening it up to you all. She's white (but used to be blue) with red seats... ideas, anyone?
-Heather... off to drink margaritas at the Ramp...
Biter Comments...
Sorry about any bursted bubbles.
Isn't red velvet cake red in the middle? You could name her Velvet. I like Nacho too - that's the name of my iPod nano (yes, I named my nano Nacho, as in, "It's Nacho's, it's mine." haha)
Or Bella? Bella the Biodiesel. Hm...I'll keep thinking. :)
No bursted bubbles! I love her! Jen just loves to give me grief for having an older car... ;)
I like Beulah. Beulah the Biodiesel Benz. Not only does the name alliterate, but it has a wonderful connotation: "Beulah" is the name of that utopian land at the end of life's road (from Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress). And truly, wouldn't it be "Beulah" indeed, if we all drove biodiesel Benzes?
just like the dog...sue.
or with the white, red and used-to-be blue, something patriotic. monica maybe?
and the red velvet...as x-hibit on MTV, "you just got pimp'ed momma!" not sure how that translates to a name.
:)
Why not name her "Splendor" It looks like a Spendid Car to me.
Elvis would be proud of you, and if he were still here, he would probably love having that car in his Classic Car Museum in Memphis. Yes! Plus, he would most likely present you with any type new car you might wish for. Go girl go! Your New wheels look great!
How about Casper?
OK, I just took her out for a huge spin and realized that she was just cranky because she hadn't been REALLY driven in a while. And let's face it - she really wants to be going 70+ mph on the freeway. I'm thinking she's gonna be Trixie...
I'm afraid a benz is more of a masculine car - maybe you should just call him Ben?
Re: pumping your own gas in California, all the pumps have a method of capturing the fumes, which is not the case in Oregon. So, not only do the gas fumes escape, but the "pump jockey" is breathing them all day!
BP "dedicated" billions to alternative energy research because they were already one of the world's leading solar companies. So they dedicated billions to themselves? Great. Way to go BP.
When my old car was totaled 2 years ago, I was eager to buy a hybrid to help the environment. Alas, it was way out of my price range. So I got a slightly used Corolla that even in city driving gets 20+ mpg, and much more on the highway. I arrange errands to do as little backtracking (and hence, gas-wasting) as possible.
The world doesn't make it easy for us to be ecological, sometimes. All of the mailboxes in our community were removed, maybe so postal workers wouldn't have to pick up mail from them. But now, to mail a letter, I must make a round trip of over 2 1/2 miles. In good weather when I'm not super-busy, I could walk. Most of the time, it just takes too long, so I drive to the P.O. Most places I need to go (church 3 1/2 miles away) are rather far to walk, not just in distance but time.
Also, I've heard that new batteries for hybrids can cost several thousand dollars. This is another factor discouraging purchases of hybrids.
I would love to see the tip updated!
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: yogibozo | September 12, 2006 at 11:56 PM